Healing Touch
by CommanderLavellan
Summary: Adaar has a weird sense when something isn't right with Cullen. She just knows when something is wrong, and she knows that he hates bringing up things that bother him so sometimes she asks, and other times she takes care of the problem without either of them really saying what's wrong.


**Title:** Healing Touch

 **Rating:** T (for cursing and... _innuendo_ )

 **Pairing:** Cullen/Atashi

 **Genre:** Fluff/Friendship/Humor

 **Word Count:** 1,427

 **Character Count:** 7,958

 **Summary:** Adaar has a weird sense when something isn't right with Cullen. She just knows when something is wrong, and she knows that he hates bringing up things that bother him so sometimes she asks, and other times she takes care of the problem without either of them really saying what's wrong. One of the nights they sat together, she noticed his voice was on edge, his fingers kept twitching, he sounded irritated even though he kept assuring her he wasn't.

 **Time Stamp:** After _In Hushed Whispers_ but before _In Your Heart Shall Burn_ [A.K.A: Pre-Relationship]

* * *

His voice was strained, sharp intakes of breath after every sentence, fingers twitching, small shivers, splitting migraine but what was he to do about it? Atashi sat beside him, speaking about the recent recruits and how to get them better armor, but all he heard was buzzing with her muffled voice behind it. The fire was too bright, even though it was pitch black around them. It was to cold even though the he was triple layered and _practically_ sitting on the fire. Cullen cringed as Atashi's voice changed, she was looking at him, worried, but he couldn't understand her. Her lips were moving but was she even talking?

"—you're anxious."

"What?" Cullen's voice sounded with irritation, though that was the last thing he was feeling at this point.

"I know you're anxious, Cullen, and by how you just spoke it me you're also annoyed. Go to sleep, I—"

"I'm fine." Cullen forced a smile, his voice thick with annoyance. The way Atashi looked at him only made him feel guilty for lying. Her lips were pulled down in a frown, her bottom lip pouted out a bit, her eyes shined with sadness and worry.

 _Maker, why does she have to be so_ _ **damned**_ _cute?_ Cullen opened his mouth as Atashi stood up. She whipped some snow off her bottom and held on her hand to him, "Come with me." Cullen was skeptical. He's come to trust her more than he should in seven months. She was a mage, a Qunari mage no less, and who know what tricks she still had up her sleeves. But the way she has protected his troops, jumped into danger over and over again...she wouldn't do that for herself. She was selfless, as much as he hated sometimes. Atashi saw his hesitation and wiggled her fingers, smirking down at him.

"Come on, _Cullen_ , I don't bite—" Her voice was cocky, "— _Much_." Cullen could help but let a small chuckle escape his lips, "As long as you're not biting me."

Atashi pouted as Cullen grabbed her hand, "Party pooper." Atashi lead him out of Haven's gates, past the training dummies Cassandra butchered, past Bull's _not-so-silent_ tent, and to the frozen lake. She plopped down onto the snow at the edge of the lake, Cullen sitting next to her, and turned her body to him, pulling her legs under herself. She patted her thighs and motioned for him to lay down.

"Herald—"

"Atashi."

" _Herald_! This isn't approp—"

"Either put your head on my lap or deal with the headache." Atashi said softly, but with fire, and patted her thighs again.

Cullen's eyebrow shot up, alarmed, "How do you…?" She patted again and again and again, until Cullen finally gave in. He turned his back to her and laid down, his head resting against her thighs. She leaned down over him and smiled down, "Just close your eyes and relax. I promise, I won't do anything you won't _love_."

"Herald—"

"Atashi."

" _Hera—_ "

"It's _Atashi_ and for your own Maker's sake, shut up and close your eyes, _Commander_." Atashi stuck her tongue out at Cullen before he sighed, shutting his eyes. He was in no mood to fight with the Herald, the pain he felt now was… _gone_? He sighed, relieved, his body relaxing as Atashi continued pressing her left palm against his forehead, the other tracing glyphs against his neck.

"Whatever you're doing…" Cullen's voice lowered and relaxed, his eyes cracking open a little to look up at Atashi, " _Don't_ stop."

Her voice was serious, but her smile was genuine, "I won't, Cullen. I promise."

Cullen didn't know how long he laid there until he felt Atashi's hand leave his forehead, and the pain was instantly back. He felt Atashi's palm quickly fall back onto his forehead, her mumbling inaudible to Cullen before sighing.

"Did...did you say something?" Cullen groaned, furrowing his brows.

"Nothing of importance." Atashi muttered back a reply, frowning down at Cullen.

"How do you know to do this?" Cullen asked, his voice slowly returning to its relaxed down.

"I told you to relax, Cullen." Atashi whispered, wiping some sweat off his brow, "Don't think, don't talk, to move."

"But I—"

"If you don't silence yourself, I'll shove snow down your throat." Atashi said, smirking down at Cullen as his cheeks heated up. When Cullen didn't reply, Atashi went back to his forehead. The silence was welcoming, Cullen couldn't remember when it had been this silent around him; And whatever Atashi was doing made him feel like himself again. He never thought he would ever think as clearly as he did right now.

"I need you to do me a favor." Atashi mumbled after a couple minutes, her voice almost pleading, "Don't talk. Just listen and nod at the end if you'll do this, okay? A—And nod now if you understand." Cullen opened his eyes and looked up at Atashi, a small nod. Atashi breathed out, switched her left palm with her right against Cullen's forehead, her other hand moving down and tracing glyph across his neck.

"Whenever you get a headache, a pain, ache, anything that you can't handle, find me...But _**only**_ if you can't handle it." Atashi sighed, looking down at Cullen, "I know what you're going through, I _can_ help but you need to conquer most of this on your own. Will you do this...please?" Cullen gave another small nod, shutting his eyes and letting Atashi continue to work.

"Thank you." Cullen could hear relief in her voice as she sighed out her thanks. Now Cullen wondered, _how_ did she know? Or did she really know? Had she dealt with this before? How has she dealt with this before? So many questions were swimming in his mind but he was becoming too tired to process this.

"Cullen?" Atashi hovered over him, her head tilted to the side, "...Commander?" A small snore from the Commander let Atashi know he was dead asleep. She placed a hand over her mouth to cover her giggle. She looked around and sighed, shrugging, "I can't exactly leave you out here in the cold." Atashi maneuvered around Cullen and picked him up bridal style before heading towards Haven. Atashi brows furrowed as she stood at the gates and looked around. She didn't know where he slept. Did he have a tent? Was he in one of the huts next to hers? Atashi chewed on her lip before heading towards her hut. He'll have to sleep in her room tonight. She set him on her bed and smiled when his hands went to clutch the pillows.

"Such a baby." Atashi mumbled, amused, before walking over to her desk and pulling out the chair. She's slept in more uncomfortable positions before, and in colder climate. She pulled her coat closer and sighed, "Good night, Cullen."

* * *

Cullen groaned, shifting in bed, before slowly opening his eyes. His eyes focused first on Atashi, hunched over on her desk sleeping. Her head was in her arms as they leaned on the desk, her hair going every-which-way around her, and she was still in the armor she was in last night. Cullen stood up, silently heading towards the door and exited the hut, making sure not to wake Atashi.

"Someone had a little _fun_ last night." Varric was standing near the hut with Solas and Cassandra. His arms were crossed and a smug smirk plastered on his little annoying dwarf face. Cassandra breathed out a sigh of relief as Cullen walked over to them.

"The Seeker was about to send out a search party." Varric chuckled before getting hit on top of his head with the scroll Cassandra held.

" _Was not_!" She hissed, "Commander, your Lieutenant picked a fight with one of the other mages and had his eyebrows burned off."

"And how does this concern me?" Cullen furrowed his brows, frowning, "I told him not to provoke the mages. It's his own fault."

"Am I the only one wanting to address the fact that Curly just came out of the Herald's hut, wearing the _same thing_ from yesterday?" Varric looked up at his surrounding friends.

"You need to talk to your Lieutenant, **again** , about harassing the mages." Cassandra poked Cullen's chest with the scroll before handing it to him, "News about the Breach. Solas suggests we act quickly, it has become unstable again. When the Herald wakes up, we'll head for the Breach."

Varric sighed as the others left him to stand alone, "Of _course_ I'm the only one."


End file.
